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Species: Chaetodon sedentarius, Reef butterflyfish

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yellowish white
2 bars: eye & end D to end A
juv: extra spot end D
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This Species (9) This Genus (5) Similar Species (7)

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Chaetodon sedentarius Poey, 1860

Reef butterflyfish

Body a strongly compressed oval disc; mouth small, at end of a short, pointed snout; cheek bone free and smooth; teeth long and slender, in bands of 5-6 rows on each jaw; dorsal fin XIII-XIV (front spines not elongated), 20-21; anal fin III, 17-19, 2nd anal spine longer than 3rd; rear edges of dorsal and anal fins bluntly angular; tail edge rounded; scales rough, covering dorsal and anal fins as well as head and body; lateral line in a high arch, incomplete (ends under dorsal fin), with 36-44 scales; with a large "axillary process" scale at the upper base of the pelvic fins.

Adult: upper head and body yellow, fading to white below; a black bar from nape through eye to lower edge of preopercle; a broad wedge-shaped black bar from soft dorsal down to soft anal; remainder of dorsal, anal and tail fins yellow. Juvenile: similar to adult but rear black bar starts under dorsal fin, a small black spot on soft dorsal.

Reaches 18 cm.

Lives on reefs.

Depth range: 0-172 m, usually below 20 m.

The Carolinas to Brazil.

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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Rocks
  • Corals
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Reef only
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Corallivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Soft corals/hydroids
  • Data
  • Hard corals
  • Sessile worms
Egg Type
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
  • Data
Global Endemism
  • All species.
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
Regional Endemism
  • GC non-endemic
  • All species..
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Extends North of GC
  • Island (s)
  • Extends South of GC
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 18
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 172